This post was written yesterday before this morning’s stark reminder  of Maureen’s vulnerability.  She is fast asleep again now, and didn’t mention the incident when she was awake earlier.

Maureen has shown some really positive signs in the last few days.  I am not wanting to get too carried away but on several occasions she has shown remarkable insight into situations.  The other aspect of her behaviour that is worth commenting on, is the confidence she now has about talking about her condition. I think this is evidence that the diet that the Head Chef is providing is really helping: so androgogy will remain on the menu.

Yesterday morning convinced me that as Head Chef there is no need to change the menu and we are ‘cooking on gas’.  We went for an early morning walk and bumped into a friend along the way.  As we stood chatting, Maureen joined in the conversation with some gusto.  She said all the right things and joined in with the jocular nature of the exchange.  At one stage Ron said to Maureen: ‘you are so much better than the last time we saw you’.  Any observer of Maureen would not have believed that she had suffered stroke, and been diagnosed with dementia.  But it gets better than that.

As walked on from Ron Maureen gave a fascinating insight into her condition.  She said she would not have known Ron if he had been on the other side of the street.  The trigger for her memory came when he spoke and she recognised his voice.  I took my cue from this to confirm how we use all sorts of tools to remember things.  

Maureen found this analysis very reassuring, and we walked on chatting away.  When we returned home things got even better.  We separated for a while on returning home; busying ourselves with our own pursuits.  When I caught up with Maureen a short while later she was bursting to give me more good news.  She had been in the dining room looking through the book shelves, and found ‘her books’.  That had led her to realise how they had got here, and that this was where she lived.  Once again, like a couple of days before, laughter took over when she revealed that she thought someone had stolen them.  Then I thought ‘in for a penny in for a pound’ and recounted her thoughts in Nottingham about the gay man who has sorted out the underwear crisis: that did it.   Maureen roared with laughter for quite some time – rolling about on the sofa.

I reassured her that it didn’t really matter if she was sometimes unsure who I was:  the most important thing was to know I would always be here for her.

Footnote: I have deliberately substituted ‘is’ for ‘was’ in the  title of this post because I have no idea how Maureen will be today.  She seems exceptionally quiet and pensive.  I hope that  sleep will have a healing impact on any troubling thoughts that are rumbling around her head.